


Dual Spires

by moomoomeep



Series: I Know, You Know [3]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Established Relationship, Explicit Language, Family, Festivals, Friendship, Multi, Mystery, Small town secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-30
Updated: 2016-08-11
Packaged: 2018-07-27 15:42:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7624426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moomoomeep/pseuds/moomoomeep
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While on vacation in Resembool, Ed and company decide to visit the nearby town of Dual Spires for their annual Cinnamon Festival.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I’m on a roll guys! I'm gonna keep this fic writing train going as long as I can! I’m so fucking excited for this one and I hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Inspired by: Psych season 5, episode 12 (there will be potential spoilers throughout)
> 
> Warning: short nsfw scene in the beginning
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own FMA or Psych
> 
> Note: This takes place two weeks after Roy Walks into a Bank

“Roy, I’m going to miss my train,” Ed says breathlessly.

Roy hums while he nips at the skin of Ed’s neck. “That’d be a real shame, wouldn’t it?”

Ed opens his mouth to retort, but all that comes out is a loud groan as Roy finally slides home. He gasps and wraps his arms around Roy’s neck before drawing him down for messy kiss. “Move, you evil bastard.”

Roy laughs lightly before he starts moving. Ed’s head falls back against the pillow and he grips Roy’s hair tightly as they quickly build a rhythm. Roy returns his attention to Ed’s neck, peppering kisses over every bit of skin that he can reach. Ed exhales heavily through his nose and ends up cumming with a shout as soon as Roy bites down on his Adam’s apple.

“ _Goddamn_ ,” Ed breathes out.

Roy thrusts inside Ed a few more times before stilling and cumming. He mumbles something incoherently before he leans down and presses his forehead against Ed’s shoulder.

Ed hums content as he runs his fingers through Roy’s sweaty hair. “Someone’s going to miss me,” he says, laughing when Roy pinches him in the side. He tugs on Roy’s hair to get his attention before drawing him into a kiss that quickly turns heated.

Ed gives an experimental wiggle and hisses at the overstimulation, though with the way Roy is kissing him, it won’t take much for him to be ready for round two. With that thought in mind he starts to pull back to see if Roy is game, when he’s interrupted by a hurried knock on the bedroom door.

“Brother, are you done yet? We’re going to miss our train!”

Ed rolls his eyes. “Yeah, hang on,” he calls while Roy slides out of him and rolls onto his side. He gets out of bed and takes the used condom from Roy before he walks into the bathroom and tosses it. He grabs a clean washcloth and runs it under the tap before using it to clean himself up. He then brings it into the bedroom so he can clean off Roy too.

Roy smiles sleepily. “Thanks, love,” he says before yawning and closing his eyes. “You’re so good to me.”

Ed smiles and leans down, drawing Roy into a soft and loving kiss right as there’s another knock on the door.

“Brother, I’m serious!”

Ed sighs before pulling away. He tosses the cloth in the direction of the bathroom before getting dressed in the clothes he should have had on hours ago since he and Al are about to leave for a two-week trip to Resembool. Roy was supposed to come too, but something happened in West City yesterday (Ed didn’t ask for the details) and Grumman is forcing Roy to clean it up. It sucks because he knows that Roy was looking forward to having a vacation and that Winry was excited to see him. She’s always complaining that she never sees Roy enough and is going to be bummed when she realizes he’s not with them.

Ed looks over at Roy, who’s now sprawled out on the bed. His eyes are closed and his breathing is even, though he’s not asleep yet. Since they first got together two years ago, he and Roy haven’t been apart for more than a few days at a time. While he is looking forward to seeing everyone, he knows he’s going to miss Roy like mad and hopes that he won’t do or say anything embarrassing because of it.

Ed shakes his head and finishes getting dressed before he goes back over to the bed and kisses Roy’s lips one more time. “Bye Roy.”

“Goodbye, my love,” Roy breathes out.

Soft snores fill the room and Ed smiles fondly before throwing the covers over Roy’s naked lower half. He forces himself to walk away from the bed, tying his knotted hair into a bun to deal with later, and grabs his suitcase. He opens the door and quietly steps out before shutting it behind him with a quiet click. He looks up and finds Al standing by the staircase with his bags sitting at his feet.

Al looks up at him and frowns. “I thought you were just going to say goodbye?”

“I did.”

“For two hours?”

“Yeah.”

Al rolls his eyes and mutters something about having to hide in the garden before he picks up his bags and walks down the stairs.

Ed walks after him slowly, since he’s starting to feel a familiar soreness settle into his ass. He pauses at the stairs and eyes them warily while avoiding his brother’s knowing gaze.

“Can’t go down the stairs, brother?”

“Shut up,” Ed says before walking down the stairs faster than he should have. Pain shoots out from his ass and spreads up his lower back. He winces as he stops next to Al, shifting uncomfortably in place while glaring at his smirking brother. “Alphonse.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Al says smugly before leading the way out of the house.

Ed puffs out his cheeks in annoyance as he locks up and follows Al over to Roy’s car, which he said they could borrow since he knew he wasn’t going anywhere today. Al unlocks the car and they toss their bags into the backseat before climbing in. Once their seatbelts are on, Al starts the car and shifts into gear before pulling out of the driveway.

Ed kicks his feet onto the dash and ignores Al’s noise of disapproval. He leans his head against the headrest and stares out the window, watching as Central passes them by. He can already feel a pang of loneliness and regret for leaving Roy behind, but he’s already resolved not to let his _feelings_ bring down the mood. Al hasn’t been back to Resembool since New Year’s and Ed refuses to ruin this trip for him (besides, he’ll have plenty of time to wallow in his own pity after everyone goes to sleep).

“We’re here,” Al says as he puts the car in park and turns it off. He takes the key out of the ignition before looking at Ed. “Roy has a spare key, right?”

“Riza does,” Ed answers as he stretches. “She didn’t trust Roy not to lose it.”

Al laughs. “Sounds like someone else I know.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, brother,” Al says cheekily as he pockets the key and climbs out of the car.

Ed frowns and follows his lead. They grab their bags out of the backseat before Al locks the car. They quickly go into the station, purchase their tickets, locate their train, and climb aboard. Al choses two seats towards the back of the train and they quickly store their bags in the overhead compartment before settling in for the long ride back to Resembool.

*

“Having trouble getting comfortable, _brother_?”

“I _will_ clobber you, Alphonse. Don’t think that I won’t.”

“Ha! You wouldn’t dare—OW! Brother, that was mean!”

“Serves you right!”

“I’m telling Winry!”

“What? There’s no need to tell her! No, Al! Alphonse Elric, you get back here right this minute! Don’t you dare pick up that phone and—”

“Winry . . .”

“AL!”

*

“Ed? Ed wake up.”

Ed shifts and blinks open his bleary eyes. “Roy?”

“Sorry to disappoint, but it’s just me, brother.”

“I’m not disappointed, Al,” Ed says with a sigh as he begins to wake up more. He sits upright and rubs at the back of his neck, wincing at the stiffness from sleeping in a funky position. Oh well, at least his ass has stopped hurting. He yawns and swings his legs over the side, watching as Al brings down their luggage before standing up, grabbing his bags, and following his brother off the train. “You know what time it is?”

“Nearly midnight,” Al says before gesturing to the large clock inside the station. “Do you think Winry and Granny will still be up?”

“Winry probably, but I bet Granny went to bed hours ago. The old hag just can’t keep up with us anymore.”

“Brother,” Al says with a sigh while Ed grins.

The pair exits the train station and look around the area. Ed wasn’t expecting Winry to be here since she said she was working on a project, but he thought there’d at least be a car or something. Then again, Winry always did like Roy best.

Ed bites back a sigh and opens his mouth to speak when Al nudges him hard in the side. He looks over and sees his brother staring at something in the distance with a soft gaze. Curious, Ed turns and sees a bright, blinking light coming from the direction of the Rockbell house.

“Come on, brother!” Al shouts before taking off.

Ed sputters. “Al! Wait for me!” He sprints after his brother and after about an hour, finds himself outside of the Rockbell’s home, looking up at Winry, who is waving at them from the upstairs balcony.

“I’ll be down in a second,” she calls down as quietly as she can before going back inside.

Ed climbs onto the front porch and sets his bags next to Al’s. The front door opens and Winry barrels out, drawing Al into a hug and spinning him around excitedly.

“It’s so good to see you, Al! Let me look at you,” Winry says, pulling away from the hug and holding him at a shoulder’s length to look him over. She pats him on the shoulders when she’s satisfied before hugging him again. “I’m so happy that you’re here! Now, can you tell me what that call was all about? You said my name and the connection suddenly dropped.”

“Brother hit me and then cut the phone line.”

Winry sighs as she pulls away from Al and walks over to him. “Honestly Ed?”

“Hey, he started it,” Ed says before accepting Winry’s hug. He pats her on the back and pulls away before sitting down in one of the chairs on the porch.

“Sure he did,” Winry says, taking the seat across from him while Al sits down next to her. “Not that I’m not happy to see you guys, but where’s Roy? He said he was going to be coming too.”

“Some shit went down in West City yesterday and he’s forced to clean up the mess,” Ed says with a sigh.

“Aw man, that sucks,” Winry says, clearly disappointed. “I was really looking forward to him coming to the Cinnamon Festival with us.”

“Cinnamon Festival?” Al questions.

“Yeah, Dual Spires is having their annual Cinnamon Festival this week and I wanted to show him around,” Winry says with a sigh. “Oh well. Maybe next year, I guess.”

“Dual Spires?” Ed says. “You mean that town that’s so small—”

“Like you, Ed?”

“What the hell did you just say to me, gear head?”

“Brother! Please lower your voice so you don’t wake, Granny!”

Ed grits his teeth and shakes his head. It’s late and he doesn’t want to get into this now. “That it doesn’t appear on the map or have a train stop?”

Winry nods. “Correct! The only way to get there is to drive. David and Holly are going tomorrow and wanted us to come along.”

Al smiles. “That sounds awesome! I’m excited to see David again.”

“And he’s excited to see you, Al,” Winry says with a smile. “He was telling me about it yesterday.”

Al beams, but his smile quickly turns into a yawn and causes Winry to laugh.

“You two should get some rest; you had a long journey,” Winry says before rising from her seat.

Ed stretches. “You go ahead. I wanna call Roy first.”

“But, it’s the middle of the night and he has work,” Al says, rubbing his eyes and covering another yawn with his fist.

“I know, but if he wakes up and realizes that I didn’t let him know we got here okay, he’ll call and lecture me,” Ed says as he stands up and follows Winry inside with Al in tow.

“Makes sense to me,” Winry says while covering her own yawn. “Goodnight.”

“Night,” Ed calls before heading to the place where the Rockbell’s keep their phone. He turns on a lamp and picks up the receiver before dialing home. He places it against his ear and leans against the wall, waiting semi-patiently while he waits for Roy to answer the phone.

The line clicks after a minute. “Mustang,” a sleepy voice greets.

Ed smiles widely. “Roy.”

“Hello, love.”

“Did I wake you?”

“For once, you didn’t. The phone rang at the same time my alarm went off.”

Ed blows out a breath. “That’s good,” he says before furrowing his brow and checking the time. “Wait, it’s only two thirty. Why are you up so early?”

“Grumman’s orders. He wants us in at four hundred sharp so we can deal with this West City mess,” Roy says before sighing. “If there is one thing I’m glad about, though, it’s that this doesn’t have ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ attached to it.”

“Hey!” Ed protests, even though he’s not offended at all by the jab. “You like my messes.”

“When they don’t involve paper work or property destruction.”

“. . . Nearly all of my messes involve both of those things.”

“Not all of them.”

Ed is silent as he thinks over Roy’s words before a smirk crosses his face. “You pervert.”

Roy laughs. “Did you and Al have a good trip?”

“Yeah, I slept most of the way and Al did . . . Al things.”

“Al things?”

“It exists, or it will if I can convince the committee to add it to the dictionary.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah, it’d go something like this: Al things: verb. Definition: things associated with Alphonse Elric that he does when his older and more handsome brother isn’t looking.”

“Older and more handsome?”

“It’s true—and don’t even think about saying otherwise because I _will_ get on the next train to Central just to throttle you.”

“Please do. At this point, I’d do anything to get out of work. Today’s going to be hell.”

Ed would laugh, but Roy sounds pitiful. “Aw, poor baby. You want me to tuck you back in and read you a bedtime story?”

“Will that story be accompanied by a glass of warm _milk_?”

Ed makes a noise of disgust while Roy laughs.

“I should go,” Roy says, sounding regretful. “The sooner I get out of here, the sooner I can be done with this day. I’m assuming that you’re going to sleep now?”

“Yeah. Do you want me to call you when I wake up?”

“Please do. I love you, Ed.”

“I love you too. Bye.”

Ed hangs up the phone and smiles to himself before pushing off the wall and heading upstairs to the room he and Al always stay in when they visit the Rockbell’s. He quietly pushes open the door and tip toes over to his suitcase, which Al must have brought up for him. He opens it and changes into his pajamas, which consist of an old tank top and a pair of Roy’s boxers he stole, before crawling into the unoccupied bed. He yawns before rubbing his face into the pillow and closing his eyes, falling asleep to the sound of Al’s quiet breathing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the support! It means a lot! 
> 
> Warning: spoilers for Tuesday the 17th and Roy Walks into a Bank

“WHAT? WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT THERE’S AN AUTOMAIL CONVENTION IN CENTRAL?”

“Yeah, it’s happening next month. Didn’t brother tell you?”

“OF COURSE HE DIDN’T! YOU KNOW HOW ED IS!”

“Oh. Well, it’s happening. Do you want to go?”

“OF COURSE I WANT TO GO! A CONVENTION ABOUT _AUTOMAIL_ —IT’S EVERY GIRL’S DREAM!”

“Winry, keep your voice down. You’re going to wake Ed.”

“Too late for that, Granny,” Ed says as he leans against the kitchen doorway with an amused expression. In reality, he awoke to the smell of bacon, but it’s not like she needs to know that. “Winry’s shouting probably woke up the whole damn neighborhood.”

“Be quiet, Ed! You can’t blame me for getting excited about _automail_ ,” Winry exclaims before aggressively biting into her toast.

Ed shakes his head and sits down at the kitchen table next to Al, accepting the plate Granny slides towards him with a quiet thanks before digging in.

“Hey, why didn’t you tell me about the convention anyway?” Winry asks around a mouthful of egg.

“I got busy,” Ed says simply before snagging Al’s coffee and chugging it.

“Hey! Brother, get your own,” Al says at the same time Winry shouts, “That’s no excuse, Edward—you know how I am about automail!”

Ed sighs again before rising from his seat. He gets how passionate Winry is (because he’s the same way about alchemy), but sometimes it’s too much, especially when he hasn’t been up for that long. “Winry, it’s too early for you. I’m gonna go call Roy.”

“EXCUSE YOU? I’ll have you know—”

Ed doesn’t wait for Winry to finish speaking before he leaves the kitchen and heads for the phone. He picks up the phone and dials the office before placing the receiver to his ear.

The phone rings three times before the line clicks. “General Mustang’s office.”

“Hey Riza. Is Roy there?”

“Hi Ed. He just returned from a meeting. I’ll patch you through.”

The phone rings three more times as he’s redirected before the line clicks again.

“Mustang.”

Ed smiles. “Roy.”

“Good morning, my love. Did you sleep well?”

“As well as I could have. It’s too quiet and the bed is too big.”

“I know what you mean. I missed waking up with you in my arms.”

“Sap.”

“You love it.”

And, secretly, he does. “How was your meeting?”

Roy groans. “It went about as well as you’d expect. I swear this West City mess is getting more complicated by the minute,” he says before sighing heavily. “Oh, before I forget: do you have any idea what happened to my underwear? I opened my dresser this morning and I only had three pairs left.”

“Yeah, I took them.”

Roy barks out a laugh. “I should have known it was you.”

Ed grins. “I can’t help it that I like your underwear better. They’re soft and comfortable.”

“Love, if you like the brand so much, you can always go out and buy your own.”

“I could, but then it wouldn’t be the same,” Ed says, laughing when he hears Roy sigh.

“Sir,” Riza says over the line. “I hate to interrupt, but I must remind you that today’s work won’t finish itself.”

“You using me to slack off again, dear?” Ed teases.

“I’m doing no such thing,” Roy says defensively. “I’m simply having a conversation with my beloved, whom I missed very much last night.”

“Wow, Chief. I’ve heard Boss talk about how you’re a major sap, but I wasn’t expecting you to be this cheesy.”

“What the—Havoc! Get off the other line.”

“No can do, Chief. The Lieutenant’s doing it and it looks like fun.”

“Are you guys talking to Ed? Hi Ed.”

“Hi Fuery, how are you?” Ed asks amused.

“I’m good, thanks,” Fuery says. “And you?”

Ed shrugs, even though Fuery can’t see. “I’m doing alright.”

Roy sputters. “What the hell is this? Get back to work before I start docking your pays.”

“We know that Hawkeye approves our checks and that she’ll give us what we deserve,” Breda chimes in and Riza hums in agreement.

Roy sighs heavily and mutters something about wanting to replace everyone with dogs while Ed laughs.

“I’m gonna go,” Ed says. “If I don’t start getting ready soon, Winry is gonna come after me.”

“Where you going, boss?”

“The Cinnamon Festival.”

“Wait, the one in Dual Spires?” Breda says. “Man, I’ve always wanted to go to that. Hey, General, can we—?”

“No,” Roy and Riza say at the same time.

Breda makes a noise of disappointment. “Well, I tried. Eat a churro for me, will you, Ed?”

“Of course,” Ed says with a shake of his head. “I’ll call you later, Roy. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Roy says and when the team (minus Riza) starts awing and making kissing noises, he yells, “I’m going to come out there and deep fry all of you!”

“Ha! You can try it, Chief, but the Lieutenant wouldn’t—”

“I’ll allow it.”

“Lieutenant Hawkeye, you _traitor_!”

“Ha! I’m putting on my gloves now!”

Ed laughs and hangs up to the sound of the team (minus Riza) screaming in fear while Roy cackles and promises to make them all extra crispy. He shakes his head before going upstairs to grab some clean clothes and take a shower in one of the upstairs bathrooms.

He redresses once he’s finished with his shower and runs his fingers through his shoulder length hair, opting to let it hang loose to dry, before leaving the bathroom and going back into his and Al’s room. He grabs his watch and hair tie before going downstairs, finding that Winry and Al are waiting for him by the front door.

“Took you long enough, brother,” Al teases to which Ed rolls his eyes.

“You know I wouldn’t have left without talking to Roy first,” Ed says, repressing a flinch when Winry reaches out and touches the ends of his hair.

“Huh, I didn’t notice last night since your hair was tied up. It looks nice; when’d you get this done?” Winry asks curiously.

“Not long ago,” Ed says with a shrug. “I was being held captive by a crazy bank robber and had to cut it to free myself.”

Winry is dead silent for a solid minute. “YOU DID WHAT?”

Ed winces and hits his ear a couple times in an attempt to get the ringing to stop. “Damn, Win; you hard of hearing like Roy now?”

Winry emits a loud screech of frustration and begins lecturing him on how doing dangerous and stupid things is going to get him killed one day. Ed’s heard this lecture from her, Al, and Roy so many times that he has it memorized by now. He turns away from her and sticks his fingers in his ears, which only causes her to yell louder. Ed can faintly make out Al telling them both to cut it out when a series of hurried knocks interrupt them.

Winry ceases yelling and Ed pulls his fingers out of his ears while they eye the door curiously. Al frowns and walks over to the door before opening it, revealing a flustered David and Holly on the other side.

“Are you guys okay? We heard yelling and it sounded like someone was being murdered!” David exclaims in between breaths.

“Ironic, coming from you,” Ed says.

“Edward, be nice,” Winry scolds.

David sighs and shakes his head before he looks over to Al and smiles. “Alphonse! It’s so nice to see you!”

“Same! It’s been way too long,” Al says before bringing David into a long hug. He thumps David on the back a few times before pulling away. “How have you been doing?”

“Okay, I suppose. Holly and I just finished plans for the memorial at Camp Chalet. We’re going to start building next week after Trina and Adam’s funerals,” David says.

“Yeah, Brother told me what happened there. I’m really sorry that it did and wish that I could have been there to help,” Al says sadly.

Holly shakes her head. “No, Al. Believe me when I say it’s better that you weren’t. You didn’t need to see what Julian had become. Too think that all this time, he was harboring such pain all by himself. If he would have told us then maybe . . . maybe we could have done something to lessen it,” she sighs heavily. “This is why you don’t keep things from your friends. We’re here to help.”

Ed feels a pang of guilt and sneaks a glance at Winry, who is looking down at the floor. He knows that he hurt Winry a lot over the years while he and Al searched for the stone and even after they completed their goal, he still kept her at arms length while he traveled through the West and later moved to Central. All she wanted to do was help and in return, he was a terrible friend to her. He’s tried to make up for it by phoning and visiting her as often as he can, but he doesn’t think that he’ll ever be able to atone for the heartbreak he’s caused.

“Speaking of: did you guys ever find out what happened to Julian and his sister,” Al asks curiously, which brings Ed from his thoughts.

“Julian’s getting a life sentence, but as for his sister . . .” David trails off and shakes his head. “All I can say is that whomever covered up her death did a hell of a job. I couldn’t find any records in the public library.”

Ed hums as a thought pops into his head. “You know, I might be able to convince Falman to look into it. Even though the investigation was in Chief Inspector Thomas’s domain, the military always sticks their nose where it doesn’t belong and might have some files on the incident.”

“You’d do that, Ed?” Holly asks.

“Of course, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. Falman is one of the best intelligence officers I’ve encountered, aside from Hughes,” Ed says. “The only problem is trying to contact him without the others around. They have a bad habit of listening in on other people’s conversations and I don’t want the entire office to know—at least not yet anyway.”

“Makes sense . . . I guess,” David says. “How’s your boy, by the way?”

“He’s good. He was supposed to come with us, but there was some work drama that he has to deal with,” Ed says with a shrug.

“That sucks,” Holly says. “It’d have been nice to see him again.”

“That’s what I said,” Winry says with a sigh.

“You know, as nice as it is chatting in the doorway, we should probably head out,” Al says before glancing over at the clock. “It’s nearing lunch time and we still have a three hour drive ahead of us.”

“I have some snacks in the car in case we can’t wait,” Holly says before turning on her heel and leading the way outside.

“That’s good. We all know how much of a bottomless pit brother is,” Al says, which causes everyone to laugh.

“Traitor,” Ed teases, laughing when Al sticks his tongue out at him.

David unlocks the car and climbs into the driver’s seat. Holly slides in next to him, leaving Winry, Al, and Ed to pile into the backseat. Winry sits on the hump, while Ed and Al take the window seats since their legs are longer (Ed’s aren’t that much longer, but he’s at least taller than Winry now).

“Does everyone have their seat belts on?” David asks.

“Yep!” Winry says cheerfully before clapping her hands together. “I’m so excited! Cinnamon Festival, here we come!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: death
> 
> Note: spoilers for Tuesday the 17th

“Oh man. Second Lieutenant Breda would loved this,” Al says in wonder as they finally arrive in Dual Spires, a small, quaint town nestled in the valleys halfway between East City and Resembool.

Ed climbs out of the car and holds the door open so Winry can get out as he looks around the area impressed because it seems like the town went all out this year.

There’s a plethora of vendors selling all things cinnamon, there’s a dunk tank (and it looks like the local kids are desperate to try and sink someone who looks like a school teacher), some mimes, a clown, and a miniature Ferris wheel and roller coaster. Everyone looks as if they’re having the time of their lives: parents are watching fondly while they’re children chase each other and cringe when the cyclists ride by, teenagers are walking around with their friends laughing loudly, and the adults are just trying to do all they can to avoid getting too swept into the chaos.

“You’re telling me, Breda would lose his shit here,” Ed says as he closes the car door and follows his friends deeper into the festival. “I’d bring him something back, but I know it’s not gonna last the next two weeks.”

“Do you think we could bring him next year?”

“Definitely—and Roy too, baring another West City disaster,” Ed says with an eye roll.

“I can’t believe how much there is to do here,” Holly says as she takes everything in. “It amazes me how a small town can put on such a large festival every year.”

“Being the leading producer of cinnamon and one of the few towns in the East with an interesting festival concept helps,” David says and Ed doesn’t miss the jab he takes at Resembool’s annual boring as shit Sheep Festival.

“It’s all so beautiful,” Winry says with stars in her eyes. “Where should we start?”

“How about rides?” David suggests. “I mean, even that roller coaster looks small enough for Ed to go on.”

“WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THAT HE’S ONLY ELIGIABLE FOR THE KIDDIE RIDES?”

“Brother, please, there are children here,” Al says, sighing hopelessly when Ed crosses his arms and fumes. “How about we hold off on the rides for now and get something to eat before Ed blows a gasket?”

“That’s a good idea, but where should we go?” Winry asks as she looks around at all the different vendors. “Oh, how about The Saw Mill? It’s the closest one to where we’re standing.”

“Fine with me,” David says, to which Holly and Al nod their agreement.

“Saw Mill?” Ed questions as they all approach the booth. “Never heard of it.”

“That’s because we’re based in South City,” chimes in the man standing behind the booth. “Most people tend to avoid coming our way due to our proximity to Aerugo, but we get our fare share of business from the locals.”

Al furrows his brow. “South City? You came all this way for the Cinnamon Festival?”

“We—my wife and I, that is—were only coming to see our niece, Tyra, who lives here, but since our visit fell during the same time as the festival, she thought we should participate to get our restaurant out there,” the man says. “My name’s Tyrell, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Al and this is Winry, David, Holly, and my older brother, Ed,” Al says, pointing to each person as he says their name.

Tyrell raises an eyebrow at Ed. “Older? You sure about that?”

“Who the hell are you calling so small that you couldn’t pick him out in a lineup?” Ed exclaims while Al groans and buries his face in his hands.

“Whoa there, young man. You know I didn’t say anything like that,” Tyrell says, accidentally knocking over a bag of sunflower seeds that was perched on the edge of the counter. “Whoops. Good thing I didn’t open that yet.”

“Tyrell, are you harassing our customers again?” a woman, whom Ed assumes to be Tyrell’s wife, says as she walks over with five plates of pie balanced perfectly in her arms.

“I’m doing no such thing, Tasha,” Tyrell says defensively. “I’m merely talking with a height sensitive young man and his gang.”

Ed’s eyebrow twitches. “Height sensitive?”

“Gang?” Winry asks confused.

Tasha rolls her eyes. “Ignore him, he just likes to make conversation,” she says. “I saw you guys coming over and decided to bring these out for you—our South City famous Cinnamon Pie!”

Everyone chimes in their thanks and accepts a plate from Tasha. With one hand, Ed manages to get his wallet out and pay for everyone’s pies, which earns him a round of thanks. Ed waves them off and puts his wallet back before taking a bite of his pie, having to hold back a moan at the explosion of flavor on his tongue.

“Hey, why are people leaving their booths?” Winry asks around a mouthful of pie. “I know the festival is far from over.”

“Oh, it must be time for the Crowning of the Cinnamon King. It’s a festival tradition, according to Tyra,” Tasha explains as she begins helping Tyrell close down their booth. “Apparently, the person who gets crowned gets a carving made out of pure cinnamon. I’ve heard that it’s supposed to be an owl this year.”

“Wow that sounds . . .” Winry says trailing off.

“Dull?” Tasha snorts. “Believe me, I’m with you. But everyone’s going to be there so we may as well see what all the fuss is about. You youngin’s wanna come with us?”

“Sure,” Ed says and the others nod in agreement.

Tasha smiles gleefully and links her arm with Tyrell before leading the way to the crowning. Ed can’t help but feel a slight twinge of envy prickle in his chest as he watches Tyrell and Tasha interact with each other. Seeing the obvious love and respect between them makes him miss Roy terribly and if it wasn’t for the shit going down in West City, then he would be here right now.

Ed sighs heavily, but shakes his head and plasters a smile on his face when Al looks his way. He promised to himself that he wasn’t going to let the fact that he missed Roy ruin this trip for Al and he sure as hell isn’t going to start now.

“Here we are—Town Square,” Tasha says, coming to a stop as she gestures towards the densely packed area. There’s a makeshift stage placed in front of City Hall where two people, one of whom is holding a cinnamon owl, are chatting next to a microphone.

Ed continues moving until he’s standing next to Tasha. “Do you know who those people on stage are?”

“Oh, that’s the mayor, and the one holding the owl is the town sheriff,” Tasha says. She looks around and motions for Ed to lean closer before lowering her voice. “But, from what I’ve heard, the mayor is just a figurehead and the sheriff is the one who’s really running the show, even though he’s not in the best of health.” She waits for a couple to pass before continuing. “See the sheriff’s family is descended from one of the original families that founded Dual Spires and he is _dead set_ on maintaining a strict way of life, like the founders intended. For example: no landlines, no indoor plumbing, no military or traditional police, no alchemy—”

“Wait, no alchemy?” Ed whispers in surprise.

Tasha nods. “They even used to have a no outsider rule, but obviously that changed once the festival became popular,” she says before pausing to sneeze. She sniffs and opens her mouth to continue when the sheriff clearing his throat cuts her off.

“How’s everybody doing today?” the sheriff asks, laughing when the crowd cheers loudly. “I just wanted to be the first to thank everyone for coming to Dual Spires one hundred and second annual Cinnamon Festival!”

The crowd cheers again and the sheriff shakes his head.

“Now, as you all know, it is time to crown this year’s Cinnamon King. After much discussion between myself, the mayor, and the council, we have chosen, my son, and the future leader of Dual Spires: Daniel Peterson, as your King!” The sheriff says. “Danny, come on down!”

The crowd practically roars before parting so Danny can make his way to the makeshift stage. When Danny reaches the top of the steps, he accepts the owl from his father before he turns and smiles to the crowd, which causes them to cheer louder. Honestly, Ed’s not sure why this guy is so popular because he’s not much to look at. Then again, Ed does have a habit of comparing everyone he meets to Roy so it’s no wonder why he doesn’t stand up.

Danny seems to take a minute to soak everything in before stepping up to the microphone. A hush falls over the crowd as they await Danny’s speech (and Ed can barely suppress an eye roll at the ridiculousness of it all). Danny smiles again and opens his mouth when a loud wailing interrupts him.

Ed looks around and soon locates the source in the form of a boy around his age riding his bike through the crowd until he all but crashes in front of the makeshift stage.

“Nathan? Nathan, what’s wrong?” the sheriff asks, his voice clearly audible in the still silent crowd.

“Something’s—something’s happened at the lake!” Nathan exclaims.

As soon as he finishes speaking, Tasha bursts into tears and ends up drawing a few stares.

“Tasha? Tasha what’s wrong?” Holly asks concerned.

“It’s Tyra—it has to be,” Tasha says quietly while she tries to muffle her cries.

Tyrell blinks his eyes rapidly, as if he’s trying to hold back tears and be strong for his wife. “Tyra didn’t come home last night,” he admits. “She said she was going out with her friends before going on her nightly swim. We figured she must have been having such a good time that she stayed over with one of them but . . .”

“It’s alright—you don’t have to continue,” Al says with a shake of his head and Tyrell nods his appreciation.

Ed watches suspiciously while the Sheriff talks to the crying boy (Nathan, was it?). After a moment, he grabs a woman from the audience and the three of them leave Town Square, able to move through the somber crowd with ease. The mayor steps up to the microphone and clears his throat before addressing everyone, but Ed pays him no mind as he turns to his friends.

“I’m going after them. I want to see the—I want to see for myself what happened. David, Holly, you stay here with Tasha and Tyrell. Winry and Al, you’re with me. Copy?” When everyone confirms their agreement of the plan, Ed turns and starts making his way through the crowd with Winry and Al at his side.

*

The lake is beautiful like something that would be found on the cover of one of Roy’s cheesy romance novels (that he claims he doesn’t read despite the fact that Ed has found them hidden all over the house). Crystal clear water, hundreds of pine trees sprouting out from underneath the rocky bed, and the mountains looming in the background is a direct contrast to the half dozen officers scouring the scene in search of clues, and the body bag lying perpendicular to the lake. Kneeling next to the body is the woman from earlier, who must be a doctor of some sort. The sheriff stands next to her while Nathan hovers nearby. The three of them are talking, but Ed is too far away to make out what they’re saying.

Ed takes in the scene as he tries to plan his next move. Based on what Tasha said earlier, it doesn’t seem like the sheriff (or many of the townsfolk) would be appreciative of military presence. To be safe, he’ll introduce himself as a private consultant for now and reveal his true identity if the situation escalates. He nods to himself and takes a step forward, not bothering to explain his plan since Al and Winry will follow his lead, when he hears someone scream. He whirls around and finds Tasha, Tyrell, David, and Holly standing behind them.

David gives Ed a helpless look and Ed simply shrugs, knowing that he and Holly tried their best.

“Tasha, Tasha, please,” Tyrell practically begs in an attempt to get his wife to calm down.

“I can’t! That’s Tyra, I know it is!” Tasha wails before she falls to the ground.

Ed purses his lips before turning to look behind him, finding the sheriff, doctor, and Nathan staring at them. The grim look on the sheriff’s face and the sympathy on the doctor’s confirm that this must be Tyra. Ed looks back to Tasha and Tyrell before kneeling down in front of them. He’s starting to get a weird vibe from this town now that he’s away from the chaos of the festival and has a suspicion that there might be more to Tyra’s death than what will be presented to the townsfolk.

“I might know some people who’d be willing to help,” Ed says lowly. “But, I need to make a quick phone call first.”

“We passed a pay phone not too far from here,” Tyrell says, gesturing behind him. “Can you really help?”

Ed nods. “I’ll do my best. Before I go, I need to know: what was Tyra’s last name?”

“Markel,” Tyrell says. “Just like mine and her father’s.”

Ed nods before straightening his posture and turning to Al. “You’re in charge until I get back,” he says, waiting until Al nods before he leaves in search of a payphone, which thankfully isn’t too far away. He quickly picks up the receiver and dials the office.

The phone rings three times before the line clicks. “General Mustang’s office.”

Ed furrows his brow. “Falman? Not that it’s not great to hear from you, but I was expecting Riza.”

Falman laughs. “You’re not the first person to say that. I assume you want to speak with the General?”

“Yeah, is he in?”

“You just missed him. Breda and Havoc dragged him out to lunch—Hawkeye went with them to make sure they didn’t get into any trouble and Fuery is . . . actually, come to think of it, I haven’t seen Fuery in a while. I wonder where he went.”

“You stayed behind?”

“I got distracted this morning doing some research and opted to finish my work. I got the Hawkeye Seal of Approval and the promise of a tasty treat when she returns,” Falman explains to which Ed laughs. “Do you want me to take a message?”

Ed thinks for a moment. “Actually, you’d probably be the better person to ask. I need you to run a name for me: Tyra Markel. She used to live in South City.”

“South City? I thought you were in Dual Spires?”

“I am, but it’s a long story.”

“Is everything alright there?”

“Nothing that I can’t handle. Oh, while I have you, can you do me another favor? An off the record favor?”

“Oh no.”

“Oh yes. Abigail DeFazio. She was a girl from Resembool, whose murder was covered up by the police.”

“Why am I looking this up off the record?”

“Because her brother is Julian DeFazio.”

“Wait, you mean that psychopath that killed two of your friends and then tried to kill you?”

“That’s right.”

Falman sighs heavily. “You know I don’t like to keep secrets from the General.”

“I don’t either and I’m sorry that I have to put you in this position, but I wouldn’t be asking if I didn’t think it was important.”

Falman is silent for a long moment and Ed thinks he might have hung up when he sighs again. “Alright, I’ll do it. Looking off the record will take time though. I’ll start tonight if I can, but for now, I’ll run Tyra’s name and give you a call when I have something.”

Ed smiles widely, feeling as if a weight has been lifted from his shoulders. “Thank you, Falman. I really appreciate it.”

“I know. I’ll talk to you soon. Goodbye.”

“Bye.” Ed hangs up the phone and exhales loudly. He makes his way back to the lake, passing by Tyrell and Tasha who are getting a ride back from the sheriff. As soon as he arrives on scene, Winry intercepts him. “You look like you’ve found something good.”

“Did I ever,” Winry says with a wicked grin. “I talked to the woman—Doctor Gordon—and she said that in her quick examination of the body, that there don’t seem to be any signs of foul play. She thinks it might have been an accidental drowning, but she needs to do an full autopsy to know for sure.”

Ed raises an eyebrow impressed. “Wow, Winry. How’d you get her to tell you all that?”

Winry shuffles and looks down at her feet. “I may have told her that I worked for a private consultant from Resembool.”

Ed sighs heavily. They’re too much alike sometimes. “Of course, you did,” he says before patting her shoulder. “Good work.”

“Thanks,” Winry says before grabbing Ed’s arm. “Oh wait, there was one more thing. It took some prying, but Doctor Gordon told me that Tyra hung around Daniel Peterson a lot and that if I wanted to know more about her, then I should talk to him.”

Ed furrows his brow. “The Cinnamon King?”

Winry nods.

Ed hums curiously. “Let’s bring the others up to speed first and then go have a chat with Danny boy.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn’t realize how short this chapter was until I started editing it oops. Hope you guys don’t mind the additional update!
> 
> Warning: none

“Where should we start looking, Brother?” Al asks once they arrive back in town. 

Ed places his hands on his hips and surveys the area, watching as people pack up their booths and break down the rides. Guess the Festival is canceled. “I don’t know, Al. Where do teenagers usually hang out?” 

“Wait, isn’t that him over there?” Holly questions. 

Ed turns and spots Danny riding his bike in their direction, looking lost in his thoughts. “Danny!” he yells and when Danny doesn’t respond, he makes a noise of frustration. “Dammit, he’s too far away.”

“Leave it to me,” Winry says as she pulls a wrench out of nowhere. She lines up the shot and throws the wrench, grinning when it hits Danny on the side of the head, causing him to fall off his bike and into the bushes. “Strike!”

Ed winces in sympathy before he leads the way over to Danny, who is struggling to climb out of the bushes. He extends a hand and helps Danny to his feet while Winry discreetly grabs her wrench and hides it. 

“Thanks,” Danny says as he brushes the leaves and dirt off his clothes.

“No problem,” Ed says. “You’re Danny Peterson, right?” 

Danny regards him curiously. “Yeah, who’s asking?” 

“Name’s Ed. I’m a private consultant and this is my team,” Ed says before gesturing to his friends. “We want to ask you a couple questions.” 

“Okay,” Danny says. 

Ed clears his throat. “Where were you on the night Tyra Markel died?” 

“I was at the library across town like I am every night,” Danny says. “In order to make sure I’m prepared to take over the town, I have to read as many books on business as I possibly can.” 

“At that point, why don’t you just go to university?” Holly asks. “I know for a fact that East City University has an amazing business department.” 

Danny huffs out a breath. “I’m sure by now you know how this town works. Now, would you mind telling me what all these questions are about?” he asks suspiciously before his eyes widen. “Wait—wait, you don’t think that I had something to do with her death, do you?” 

“Right now, I’m just trying to gather the facts,” Ed says. 

Danny visibly swallows and scans the area to make sure that no one is listening before lowering his voice. “Tyra was my girlfriend and I loved her very much. We’d dated for the past six months. She would always tell me stories about her time in South City and promised to show me one day. You have to believe me when I say I would never do anything to hurt her.”

“Is there anyone that can collaborate your story?” Ed asks. 

Danny nods. “The Librarian, Claudette.” 

“Thank you for your help, Danny. We’ll come find you if we have any more questions,” Ed says, nodding to Danny in parting before turning and walking away without warning, listening to the sounds of his friends protesting as they scramble to catch up. 

*

The library is a small, cozy building tucked away in a quiet corner of town. Ed opens the front door and is greeted by the comforting and familiar smell of books. He steps further into the library and spots a woman sitting behind the front desk, which is directly parallel to the front door.

“Excuse me,” the woman says. “Can I help you?” 

“Are you Claudette?” Ed asks as he approaches the front desk. 

“I am,” Claudette confirms before adjusting her glasses. She’s kind of meek and mousey and reminds Ed of Sheska. She even has dark hair and is wearing a turtleneck in the middle of summer. “Are you the consultant?” 

Ed blinks surprised. “You’ve heard of me?” 

“Small town; word travels fast,” Claudette says with a simple shrug. “Can I help you with anything?” 

“Yeah, was Danny Peterson here last night?” 

Claudette nods. “Yep, he’s here every night studying away. I have a sign in sheet if you need a copy of it?” 

“Please,” Ed says, watching while Claudette makes a note to do so. “Hey, would you mind if we took a look around?” 

Claudette shrugs. “Fine with me, but I have to let you know that if you want to check anything out, then you’ll need a library card.” 

Ed smiles. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” 

He nods to Claudette before walking away in search of his friends. He eventually finds them sitting and reading at a table tucked away in the corner of the library. He opens his mouth in greeting, but pauses when he realizes that he hasn’t heard back from Falman yet. Ed quietly turns around and walks out of the library, spotting a payphone directly across the street. He goes over to it and picks up the receiver, placing it against his ear as he dials the office. 

The phone rings three times before the line clicks. “General Mustang’s office.” 

“Hey Riza, it’s Ed. I need to speak with Falman.” 

“Hi, Ed. I’ll put him on.” 

It takes a few moments, several indecipherable mumbles, and a shit ton of shuffling before Falman answers the phone. “Ed?” 

“Hi Falman.” 

“I’m so glad that you called—I’ve been trying to reach you for the past hour. I looked to Tyra like you asked me too, made a few calls to South City, and I had to pretend to be the General at one point, but that’s a story for another day,” Falman says. “Look, I don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into, but Tyra Markel drowned in South City seven years ago. A body was never recovered, but in the official military report they found her bike, her sweater, and a ton of sunflower seeds at the scene.” 

Ed furrows his brow. “Sunflower seeds?” 

“That’s what I said. I even asked the Lieutenant about it and she said that sunflower seeds isn’t the first choice of a snack for most kids.” 

Ed chews on his lower lip. “This doesn’t look good.” 

“You’re telling me,” Falman says before sighing. “If you ask me, it looks like her death might have been faked. I could be wrong, but the evidence just doesn’t add up.” 

“Right, especially when you consider that the water in South City doesn’t have any currents so a body should have been recovered,” Ed says distractedly. He thinks over all the evidence that he’s gathered so far when it occurs to him that when they first met Tyrell, he knocked over a bag of sunflower seeds. It could be a coincidence, sure, but it’s the best lead he’s got. “Thanks, Falman, I know where to go from here.” 

“You’re welcome, Ed, and good luck.” 

“Thanks. Bye.” Ed hangs up the receiver and walks back to the library. He opens the door and nods to Claudette before relocating his friends, who haven’t moved from their spot. 

Al looks up and notices him first. He takes one look at Ed’s expression before grinning. “You figured it out?” 

“With some help from Falman,” Ed says as he reaches their table. “What do you guys say we pay another visit to The Saw Mill?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a busy couple days coming up and since this chapter was ready, I thought I’d go ahead and post it. I hope you guys enjoy :)
> 
> Warning: mention of past abuse

“Oh! Hello Ed,” Tasha says surprised once Ed is within earshot. “Where are your friends?”

“I left them near the entrance—it’s a little chaotic here with everyone trying to leave,” Ed says as he comes to a stop in front of The Saw Mill’s booth. “How are you two holding up?”

“About as well as you’d expect,” Tyrell says before wrapping an arm around his wife. “We’ve been hearing through the grapevine that you’re a consultant. Did you need to ask us about Tyra?”

Ed nods. “I don’t want to take up too much of your time, so I’ll just be blunt,” he says before stepping closer and lowering his voice. “Why did you two help Tyra fake her death?”

Tyrell and Tasha’s eyes widen comically and Ed knows that he’s hit the jackpot.

“It was her idea,” Tyrell admits quietly after a moment of silence. “She was in a relationship with an abusive man. We helped her get out, but he wouldn’t stop harassing her. We tried everything we could—hell, we even got the military involved, but nothing was done. We didn’t want to see her hurt so we helped her . . . you know, and move to Dual Spires. We know it was wrong, but she was so much happier here.”

Ed nods. “I appreciate the honesty and don’t worry, I’m not gonna say anything. I get it,” he says and the pair visibly relaxes. “If it’s alright, do you think I could take a look at Tyra’s apartment?”

“I’ll take you. Tyrell can finish up here,” Tasha says, patting her partner on the shoulder before walking around the booth. “Let’s go, little man.”

Ed tenses, but lets the comment slide (just this once) before following Tasha, who leads him away from the festival and to an apartment complex that’s a bit further into town. They quickly make their way up the stairs before arriving at an apartment on the third floor. Tasha pulls out her keys and opens the door before leading the way inside.

Ed shuts the door as he looks around the combined living room and kitchen, not seeing anything of immediate interest. “Thank you, Tasha. Which room was Tyra’s?”

“Down the hall, first door on the right,” Tasha says. “I’m going to go make some tea.”

Ed nods and follows Tasha’s instructions, pushing open the door in question and entering Tyra’s room. It looks like a typical teenager’s room—posters covering the walls, an overflowing bookshelf, vinyl records scattered in every direction while the record player teeters dangerously on the wide windowsill. An unmade queen size bed that’s covered in various colored blankets with a variety of pillows and stuffed animals takes up most of the space in the room.

Ed blows out a breath and tries to think of where he should begin his search. Growing up, Winry used to keep a diary and her favorite hiding spot used to be under her mattress, so he may as well start there. Ed walks over to the bed and lifts the mattress, grinning wolfishly when he finds the book in question. He grabs the diary and sets the mattress back down before going over to the window.

He opens the diary and scowls as he skims through it. The entire thing is written in Aerguan, which is the _only_ language that Ed doesn’t know, but one that Roy is fluent in.

“Motherfucker,” Ed mutters as he reaches into his pocket for the travel size notebook and pen that he keeps with him. He flips to the last entry since it looks the most complex before opening his notebook and writing down everything he can before returning the diary to where it belongs.

He pockets his notebook and pen as he leaves Tyra’s room, heading for the front door and nodding to Tasha on his way out. “Thanks for your help. I need to make a call now. I’ll meet you back at the booth?”

Tasha hums. “Okay dear. See you there.”

Ed leaves the apartment and shuts the door behind him before he races down the stairs and exits the building. He walks around the area and he finds a payphone in the complete opposite direction of the festival. He quickly picks up the receiver and places it against his ear as he dials the office.

The phone rings twice before the line clicks. “General Mustang’s office.”

“Riza, it’s Ed again. Can you put Roy on?”

“Hi Ed. He’s actually standing right here, hang on.”

There’s some shuffling over the line before Roy’s voice fills the speaker. “Hello, my love.”

“Hey, I need you to translate something for me.”

“ . . . You do?”

“Yeah, it’s Aerguan.”

“You don’t know it?”

“Only one I don’t,” Ed says sheepishly.

“You know I wouldn’t have minded giving you lessons, had I known.”

Ed hums. “I always thought your mouth was better used in _other_ ways.”

“Oh, _do_ you now?” Roy says and Ed can hear the smirk in his voice.

“Yeah and the first thing I want you to do when I get back to Central is take that mouth and—hey, what the fuck are you staring at? Festival’s that way, buddy, keep on walking!” Ed shouts with a scowl at the old man who gives him a dirty look as he passes.

The receiver is quickly filled with Roy’s laughter. “Oh my god, did somebody actually overhear you?”

“Hey, in my defense, they only have pay phones in this damn town,” Ed says, feeling a familiar flush color his cheeks. “Now, could you just translate this thing so I can finish up this case?”

Roy blows out a heavy breath. “I’m ready, love, go ahead.”

Ed pulls out his notebook and quickly reads the entry to Roy as best he can. Roy makes noises to indicate he’s still listening and occasionally corrects Ed’s pronunciation. When Ed’s finished, he pockets his notebook and taps his finger against the receiver while he waits in a comfortable silence for Roy to finish translating.

“Edward, what the hell is this? Is this someone’s diary?”

“It’s a long story and I’ll explain it in the report that you’ll no doubt make me write.”

“Alright, so it looks like whomever wrote this was seeing someone. Their name is indicated by the letter ‘D.’

Ed hums. “That must be Danny. When we questioned him earlier, he said he and Tyra were dating.”

“We? Ed, are you involving civilians in military operations _again_? Look, you can’t keep—”

“Honey, can you _please_ spare me the lecture for now and just give me the rest of the translation?” Ed asks. He knows that Roy usually concedes to doing whatever Ed wants when he uses pet names in a non mocking manner and judging by Roy’s heavy sigh, it looks like he’s won.

“Fine, but this discussion isn’t over,” Roy promises before clearing his throat. “Alright, it looks like she talks about someone else she’s fond of. Their name is indicated by the letter ‘N.’”

Ed thinks for a moment. “That could be Nathan. He was the one who discovered Tyra’s body and told the sheriff at the Cinnamon King crowning.”

“Cinnamon King crowning?”

“I’ll fill you in later. Thanks for your help, hun.”

“Wait, Ed, there’s more—”

“Tell me later, okay? Love you.”

“Edward—”

Ed hangs up the phone and makes his way back to the festival. Most of the attractions and booths have been packed up and cleared, which makes it easy for Ed to find Tyrell and Tasha and his friends, who must have gotten bored since they’re helping the couple pack up their truck.

“Al,” Ed calls, waving to his brother when he looks up.

“Brother! How did it go?” Al asks as he jogs over.

Ed grins. “Pretty good. I got a lead from Tyra’s diary.”

Al frowns disapprovingly. “You read her diary?”

“ _Technically_ , Roy did since the entire thing is written in Aerguan.”

“Brother!”

“Spare me, Al, if I didn’t get that translation then I wouldn’t have this lead. I swear, you’re just like Roy sometimes.”

Al huffs and crosses his arms. “What did you find?”

“It turns out that Tyra knew Nathan pretty well—you know, the boy who crashed the crowning,” Ed explains when Al looks at him in confusion.

“Oh yeah, I remember him. You think he had something to do with her death?”

“No, idea, but it wouldn’t hurt to question him.”

Al nods. “We’re almost done here, but afterwards, we can go.”

Ed shrugs. “Fine with me. Tyrell and Tasha might even know where we can start looking for Nathan,” he says as he follows Al back to the couple’s truck.

*

“This is where Nathan works?” Holly asks curiously.

“According to Tasha, yeah,” David says. “It’s interesting. I’ve never seen a convenience store and a dark room combined into one before.”

“Yeah, well this town’s weird,” Ed says.

Al hums. “Is that why mom never let us come here?”

“Probably,” Ed says before reaching for the front door. “Come on.”

Ed opens the door and everyone files into the _tiny_ convenience store (like this place is so tiny that there are apartments in downtown Central bigger than this). Nathan is standing behind the front desk, holding his camera and looking pitiful. When he notices them, Nathan tries to put on a cheerful expression, but it just looks wrong.

“You don’t have to pretend for us,” Ed says as he approaches the front counter.

Nathan nods gratefully and drops his forced expression. “I appreciate it. So, I take it you’re the consultant everyone’s talking about?”

“Name’s Ed. I take it you’re Nathan?”

“That’s right—Nathan Campbell,” he confirms. “I assume you’re here about Tyra?”

“Just trying to gather evidence,” Ed says as he leans on the counter. “I need to ask you a couple questions. Is that alright?”

“It’s fine.”

“I’ll get right to it: where were you last night?”

“I was with her.”

Ed blinks at him in surprise. “You were with her?”

“Oh god—I’m so sorry, I just realized how that sounded,” Nathan says in a panic. “I meant that we were hanging out by the lake last night. See, Tyra and I have been best friends ever since she first moved to Dual Spires and we’ve always made time to hang out every Friday night—that was our thing. You know what I mean?”

“I do.”

“Right, and everyone respected that except . . . except for Danny,” Nathan says with a sigh. “Honestly, I think he might have been jealous or god forbid, thought that Tyra was cheating on him, which is ridiculous! She was crazy about him, but she’s not one of those people who leaves her friends behind. You know?”

“Yeah, I’m the same,” Ed says as he shifts his weight against the counter. “My partner is my world, but I’m not gonna ditch my friends—no way.”

“Thank you! Someone gets it!” Nathan says. “Anyway, last night she told me that she wanted to leave Dual Spires and take Danny with her. She extended the invitation to me and while I was wary at first, I eventually got on board.”

Ed nods. “So, what happened after you finished talking to her?”

“I was hit on the side of the head and I know it wasn’t Tyra because she was in front of me. I have no idea who it was and when I woke up Tyra was gone,” Nathan explains before his expression takes on a panicked edge. “Wait, you don’t think someone might have—”

“Nathan, Nathan, breathe!” Ed says, trying not to panic himself. Dammit, Roy’s the one who’s better at this. “I don’t know what to think—I’m just trying to gather clues.” Though evidence is starting to lean closer to murder now, he adds silently in his head.

It takes a long moment, but Nathan eventually calms down well enough to continue. “Sorry about that. It’s just with the way everything sounds I—I may have been the last person to see her alive. I developed the photos from last night, but now I don’t know if I’ll be able to look at them.”

“You had a camera?” Ed practically exclaims. “I need to see those photos!”

“The dark room is right over there next to the restroom,” Nathan says pointing towards two doors on the left side of the store. “You’re free to have a look.”

“Thank you,” Ed says. He walks over to the dark room and opens the door as wide as he dares before slipping inside and being plunged into near darkness—the only light source coming from a red blub hanging in the center of the room. He waits until his eyes adjust before getting to work, searching through Nathan’s impressive collection until he finds a portfolio labeled with yesterday’s date.

He opens the portfolio and the very first image he sees causes him to pause. It’s a photo of Tyra smiling into the camera, but what draws his eye is the unmistakable form of Daniel Peterson approaching the unsuspecting pair with an enraged expression on his face.

Ed tightens his jaw and shifts in place, feeling anger bubble inside of him. That fucking shit lied to him. He puts the portfolio back where he found it and exits the dark room. He looks to Nathan and nods in thanks before walking towards the front door.

“Ed?” Winry asks concerned as soon as she sees the expression on Ed’s face. “What’s wrong?”

“I’ll explain on the way,” Ed says as he opens the door to the convenience store while his friends scramble to catch up. “We have to find Danny now.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter everyone! Thank you all so much for your support! It means the world to me :)
> 
> Warning: death and blood

As soon as Danny catches Ed’s eye, he tries to take off running, but with five against one, he’s quickly cornered. 

“Where’re you off to in such a rush, Danny? We just wanna chat, is all,” Ed says as he crosses his arms. 

“I already said my part. I got nothing else to say to you,” Danny says, attempting to sound nonchalant and failing. 

Ed resists the urge to roll his eyes. “Cut the act; we know that you were the one who hit Nathan over the head.” 

Danny sighs heavily. “About that . . . look, I got jealous, okay? They’re—they’re together every single week and I thought that Nathan was trying to make a move on her.” 

“Are you fucking serious? She’s allowed to have friends, asshole,” Ed says and thankfully, Danny has the sense to look ashamed. “What happened after Nathan went down?” 

“Tyra screamed at me before leaving to find help,” Danny explains. “I offered to go with her, but she said that she didn’t want anything to do with me, so I went to the library like I usually do. I was going to try to make amends with her tonight after the festival, but by then, well, you know the rest.” 

Ed takes a moment to think over Danny’s words. While he’s not exactly innocent per say, Ed doesn’t believe that he was the one who killed Tyra. “Is there anyone you know who could have wanted Tyra gone?” 

Danny is silent for a long moment. “There’s one person that comes to mind—Claudette Rodgers.” 

“The librarian?” Al questions. 

Danny nods. “She’s had a crush on me since we were kids, but I never saw her as more than a friend.” 

“Oh? You mean like how Tyra saw Nathan?” Ed says harshly. 

Danny looks ashamed again. “You’re right and I’m sorry.” 

“I’m not the one that you have to apologize to. Go find Nathan,” Ed says and when Danny doesn’t move, he yells, “Now, soldier!” 

Danny springs into action and all but flees through the space that David and Holly make for him. 

“Did you really have to yell like that, Brother?” 

“Yes. Now, come on,” Ed says as he uncrosses his arms. He turns and starts heading towards the library, which is a short walk away. 

Al sighs as he matches Ed’s pace. “Do you think that Claudette could have done it?” 

“Who knows, but,” Ed pauses to think, “if she thought that Tyra was ruining her chances with Danny, especially if she knew that they were leaving Dual Spires, she could have snuck out, committed the murder, and came back before anyone realized she was gone.” 

“So you’re saying it’s possible?”

“I guess it could work,” Ed says as he holds open the library’s front door for Al before he steps inside. “We’ll know for sure once we talk to—oh, no.” 

“Ed, what’s wrong?” Winry asks. 

“Winry, don’t come in. Trust me on this one,” Ed says, his gaze fixated on Claudette’s body, which is hanging from the ceiling by a rope. 

“Suicide?” Al asks quietly. 

“If she was the killer, then yeah, maybe guilt got to her,” Ed says. He forces himself to tear his eyes away from Claudette’s body and look around the room. Nothing seems out of place, but he wants to do a quick sweep before they call Command. “David?” 

“Yeah?” David calls.

“Take the girls to that ice cream shop we passed on the way. Wait for Al and I there,” Ed says. “We need to look into some things here. We won’t be long.” 

“Okay,” David says. 

Ed waits until their footsteps fade before walking further into the library, trying his best to avoid looking in the direction of Claudette’s body as they search for clues. He hates to have to leave her like this, but Roy (and Maes when he was alive) drilled into his head not to mess with the body until forensics showed up. 

“Brother, over here,” Al calls. “I found a back room.” 

Ed follows the sound of Al’s voice until he finds him in the very back of the library, standing in front of a closed door. “What’s inside?” 

Al shrugs. “I was waiting for you,” he says before opening the door.

Ed follows his brother inside and shuts the door behind him out of habit. The room is small and cramped with a desk and bookshelf taking up most of the space. He walks over to the desk that rivals Roy’s with the amount of paperwork stacked on top of it. Ed picks up a file, skims through it, and discovers that it’s a public file on Tyra. Suspicious, he sets that down and picks up another, only to find that it’s another public file, but on Danny. He shifts through the next couple files, finding one on the Sheriff, Mayor, Doctor Gordon, and other Dual Spires residents.

“Al, I don’t think Claudette killed Tyra,” Ed says as he continues looking through the files. 

“I know . . . I found her note.” 

Ed looks up and finds his brother holding a piece of paper. “What does it say?” 

“The answer is in the history,” Al recites. “That’s all it says. Do you have any idea what it means?” 

“No clue,” Ed admits as he scratches his head. “Maybe we should take a look at the town’s history?” 

“It’s a good place to start,” Al says. He places Claudette’s note back where he found it before he walks over to the door and turns the knob, pausing when it doesn’t budge.

Ed frowns before moving to his brother’s side. “Al, quit playing around.” 

“I’m not—it won’t open,” Al says as he continues to struggle with the doorknob. “Uh, Brother? Why is there smoke coming from underneath the door?” 

Ed looks down and swears, grabbing his brother by the back of the shirt and yanking him back. “Shit, someone must have set the library on fire.” 

“Who would do something like that? Don’t they realize that all this knowledge is going to be lost?” 

“Al!” 

“Yes, brother, I realize that our lives are in danger, but think about the books!” 

Ed rolls his eyes and looks around the room, trying to see if he can find a way out, when he hears a noise on the other side of the door. He flinches when an axe breaks through the center of the door while Al screams and clings to him. He watches while the door is brought down and reveals their savoir (and honestly, Ed doesn’t think that he’s ever been so excited to see the military before).

“Follow me,” the soldier says. 

Ed and Al don’t think twice before following him out the library where they find their friends waiting for them nearby.

“Are you guys okay?” Winry asks concerned. 

“We’re fine,” Ed says before turning to the soldier. “Thanks for your help . . .?” 

“Colonel Roderick Masterson,” the soldier replies, laughing when Ed balks at him in surprise. “Shocked that I made the trip myself?” 

Ed nods. “Yeah, that usually doesn’t happen. How did you know where to find us? We didn’t call for backup yet.” 

“I got a call from General Mustang,” Colonel Masterson says. “He said he was translating something, but that you hung up before he got to the part where Tyra thought she was in danger. He thought that you might be in danger too so he called me to come check on you and it’s a good thing he did. I could see the smoke as soon as I stepped into town. 

Ed feels guilty for hanging up now because when Roy worries, he worries to the extreme and has probably been beside himself for hours now. 

“Did you guys find anything inside?” Holly asks. 

“We found a note from Claudette that said ‘the answer is in the history,’ but that’s it,” Al says. “We thought it might have meant the town’s history, but now that the library is in flames, we don’t know what to do next.” 

“Wait, didn’t Tasha say that the sheriff was from one of the founding families?” Winry asks. When Ed nods, she says, “Maybe we could ask him. I mean if anyone should know the town’s history, it’d be him.” 

“Yeah, good idea, Winry,” Ed says. “Hey, do you think if we find Danny again, he’ll tell us where to find his dad?” 

“Probably not, seeing as you yelled at him,” Al says before sighing. “See, this is why Roy and I usually do the talking—”

Al’s cut off by the sound of a gunshot that strikes Colonel Masterson in the stomach, causing him to fall to the ground in a crumpled heap. Ed and Al whirl around, pulling David and Holly behind them, while Winry kneels to the ground to tend to Colonel Masterson’s wound. 

Ed shakes his head in disbelief. “You wanna put that gun down, Sheriff?” 

The sheriff shakes his head. “You know I can’t do that,” he says, clutching his revolver tighter. “See, this is why I wanted to do away with the Cinnamon Festival—outsiders like you always stick your nose where it doesn’t belong.” 

“You and I both know that I’m not the only one who figured it out,” Ed says. “That’s why you killed Claudette, right?” 

“Claudette’s dead?” Winry exclaims, horrified. “Is that why you didn’t want us to go into the library?” 

The sheriff grins. “You’re a smart one. I’m not going to be around forever and Danny is the rightful heir to Dual Spires. I’ve worked too hard to keep this town running and I’m not going to let the likes of you ruin it.” 

Ed grins, feeling adrenaline pumping through his veins at the anticipation of a fight, when he’s startled by the sound of another gunshot. The sheriff gasps and drops his revolver before clutching at his heavily bleeding thigh as he falls to the ground. Ed blinks and looks down to find Colonel Masterson sitting upright with Winry’s help, his gun smoking and aimed at the sheriff. 

“Sick fuck,” Colonel Masterson says, and Ed can’t help but agree. 

*

“What does the situation look like now?” 

Ed blows out a breath and adjusts the phone against his ear. “Well, Eastern Command’s here and they’ve officially taken over the investigation. The sheriff has been arrested and Colonel Masterson has been taken to the hospital. The medics said that the work Winry did to stop his bleeding saved his life.” 

Roy hums. “That’s good. You know I expect a full report on this when you get back, right?” 

Ed groans. “Don’t remind me, asshole.” 

Roy laughs. “You did good work today, Ed. I’m proud of you.” 

Ed shifts in place and looks down at the ground, hoping that no one will see the goofy smile that crosses his face. “Thanks.” 

“You’re welcome. What are you going to do now?” 

“As soon as I hang up, we’re getting the hell out of here. I’ve had enough of this town for one day.” 

“Just promise me that you won’t get involved in any more investigations for the time being. I think this one took a few years off my life.”

Ed snorts. “No promises and besides, you’re one to talk. How’s that West City mess going for you?”

“It’s gotten worse,” Roy says, his tone taking a serious edge. “We found out that the riots throughout the city were a distraction to disguise the murder of several high profile military commanders.” 

Ed bites down on his lower lip as worry spreads throughout him. “Do you know what caused the riots? And why someone would be attacking the military?

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out, but no luck so far,” Roy says with a sigh. “Riza is glaring at me, so I need to go. Be careful and call me as soon as you get back to Winry’s.” 

“I will, and you be careful too. I love you.” 

“I love you too. Bye.” 

Roy hangs up and Ed is left standing in a tense silence, listening to the dial tone. He forces himself to hang up the phone and walk to the car where his friends are waiting. He’s worried—so worried that he feels like he’s going to be sick and he’s kicking himself for not getting the details sooner. Had he known, he never would have come back to Resembool. When they get back, he’s going to have a long discussion with Al and Winry and see if they can cut this trip short. 

Ed reaches the car and opens the backdoor, sliding into the vacant seat and making sure to avoid Al and Winry’s curious gazes. 

“Brother, you okay?” Al asks curiously. 

“Long story,” Ed says, looking out the window as David puts the car in gear and drives away from Dual Spires. The ride is filled with an uneasy silence and Ed knows that he’s not helping the mood, but he knows he won’t be able to relax until he’s back at Roy’s side.

“Brother,” Al says after several long moments. “Do you think that Second Lieutenant Breda will still want to come to the Festival after he reads your report?” 

Ed shrugs. “Probably, you know how he is about food, but Havoc can bring him. I’m never coming back to this damn town again,” he says, completely unsurprised when everyone chimes in their agreement.


End file.
